Our Good Practice is focused on the collaboration between the University of Girona and other social stakeholders in order to promote and strengthen science education in primary and pre-primary level. Concretely, it describes the cooperation between partners in the organization of the Science Fair for Little Big Scientists. This Fair is a community event which is part of a big project called Pollen Project: Girona, seed city for Science. Pollen promotes science teaching renovation in primary schools based on inquiry approach. The Good Practice consists of creating a collaborative environment in which pre-service teachers (university students), in-service teachers, scientists, university professors and secondary students work together towards a common goal: improve and promote science education. For this, a sustainable framework for science education through a child-centred approach starting in school and extending to the whole city will has been created.
Pollen was launched in January 2006 and took place over a three-and-a-half-year period. With inquiry-based science education as a primary objective, the project focused on the creation of 12 Seed Cities throughout the European Union. A Seed City is an educational territory that supports primary science education through the commitment of the whole community. The major goal of Pollen was to provide an empirical illustration of how science teaching can be reformed on a local level within schools whilst involving the whole community, in order to demonstrate the sustainability and efficiency of the Seed City approach to stakeholders and education authorities, and to seek leverage effects. In each Seed City, Pollen provided material and methodological and pedagogical support compatible with the framework of the local curriculum.
Girona, seed city for Science In 2007 we started our local project, part of the European Pollen Project. The executive commission was integrated by local authorities, both the City Council and the Educative authority, Pau Education (one private company) and the University of Girona. In April, 2008 we held the first Science Fair for children from 3 to 12 years old in the city of Girona. It became the last Pollen event for the academic year and a place to show and demonstrate all the work done in the schools at the same time as a perfect opportunity to integrate pre-service and in-service teacher education. More than 700 pupils visited the Faculty of Education and the Faculty of Sciences and participated in more than 15 workshops designed and guided by pre-service teachers. The second Science Fair was also held at University of Girona in May 2009. The organization model remained the same as for the previous year but we included two workshops designed by Scientists and guided by university Science Students. On that occasion almost 1000 pupils visited our faculties and participated in more than 18 workshops.
Pollen aimed to stimulate and support science teaching and learning in primary schools so that children can observe, question, and understand the world that surrounds them, making experiments, developing scientific reasoning, problem solving skills and creativity through hands-on inquiry and innovative-based science education. The main goal of the Science Fair is to create a common and shared space to promote collaboration between teachers, students, professors, pupils and other stakeholders. It becomes an ideal situation to test some of the professional competences developed in initial teachers’ training in a real-life-situation with children in addition to participating in a community project.
Science Fair for Little Big Scientists is a community event that aims to promote science education in pre-primary and primary levels, mainly. It is based on two main focuses or activities: workshops for pupils from 3 to 12 years old and an exhibition of school projects. The 2010 edition was held outside the University of Girona buildings, at Palau Firal in Girona, the 14th of May and more than 1700 people participated. Every group of pupils visiting the Science Fair participated in at least two different workshops (about 30 min per workshop) and presented their work at the common exhibition of science projects. The schools had the workshops information in advance and they listed their priorities before visiting the Science Fair. Science workshops were designed, prepared, organized and guided in very different ways and by diverse groups or agents. There were almost 30 different workshops about a huge diversity of scientific topics. On one hand, there were workshops prepared by university professors and university students from Faculty of Education and Psychology (mainly pre-service teachers for both pre-primary and primary pupils) but this year we also had the collaboration of science professors and students (mainly from studies of Chemistry both undergraduated and postgraduated). On the other hand, we had some workshops prepared and guided by secondary teachers and students from ‘professional formation’ (kindergarten education) and high school science students. Besides, this year we also had the collaboration of secondary students and teachers from ‘socio-cultural animation’ studies. This Good Practice has specific objectives for specific actors.
Pre-service teachers (Initial teachers’ training, Faculty of Education and Psychology): To promote the contact with the future profession, to develop professional competencies above all those related to science education in early stages and to stimulate curiosity and positive attitudes towards science, technology and research.
In-service teachers (working at the participating schools): To support and give them didactic resources to improve and promote experimentation and inquiry-based education in the schools. To improve and deepen their disciplinary and didactic knowledge, and to stimulate curiosity and positive attitudes towards science, technology and research.
Secondary students (from both compulsory and non-compulsory secondary education): To realize the potential and the importance of science education and networking. To promote scientific vocations (in a wide sense, including science education and communication).
Pupils from 3 to 12 years old: To promote interest, curiosity and positive attitudes towards science and technology. To develop competencies related to experimentation, inquiry and to promote scientific vocations.
University professors and researchers: To strengthen networking with other professors, students and teachers in order to improve science education. To take advantage of synergies and communicate the University activities (both research and education).
This Good practice has increased and strengthened collaboration between schools, authorities and the university in order to create and grow a community project, has offered a real case learning situation for pre-service teachers (university students) and has opened new fields for interdisciplinary collaboration between colleagues and faculties.
Some illustrative numbers:
2008: 750 pupils participated, from 3 to 12 years old with their teachers. 160 pre-service teachers prepared and guided 15 workshops. Two University professors were in charge of the organization.
2009: 1100 pupils participated, from 3 to 12 years old with their teachers. 160 pre-service teachers prepared and guided 20 workshops. Three University professors were in charge of the organization.
2010: 1500 pupils participated, from 4 to 12 years old with their teachers. 120 pre-service teachers, 30 science students, 30 secondary students prepared and guided almost 30 workshops. Eight university professors from two different faculties were in charge, besides three secondary teachers who also collaborated.
The main innovative aspect is the fact that we take advantage of the university's potential in order to promote and impose a community project, not only with consultancy or research but also with the participation of students and professors in specific activities (workshops at the Science Fair for Little Big Scientists). At the same time, we take advantage of the community project (Pollen project in Girona) in order to offer our students a real case learning situation besides interdisciplinary real net-working experience. This good practice has created links and collaboration between schools, authorities and the university in order to improve and promote science education with the real participation of the majority of agents that already have an important role in the field (not only as consumers but as equal partners).
guninetwork.org | Ph: +34 93 401 70 08 | Fx: +34 93 401 08 55 | C. Jordi Girona, 31. Edifici TG(S1). E-08755 Barcelona
